These are possible research questions and data collection methods you brainstormed last week in class. We've also added to your methods ideas.

Things to think about regarding questions and methods

Remember that "learning" includes both academic and social skills and knowledge.

It is usually better to use the general term "relate to" rather than causal language ("effects," "X makes Y happen…"), unless you are doing an experiment or have some other really strong evidence for causation. In order to say an aspect causes something, you need to be able to compare equivalent groups, one with that aspect and one without. You can speculate about causes, just make sure that you clearly mark it so (using the ever-popular academic hedge.)

Once you have tentatively identified a question, skim through your readings and make sure you are going to be able to use the readings to help you interpret your data and justify your interpretations and conclusions. If you are having a hard time making these connections, read closer or consider revising your question.

Make sure you can list several possible data collection methods that fit your question. Skim the readings for ideas and examples of connecting methods to questions.

You may want to have a backup question prepared in case the class you land in isn't suited to your first question. For example, if you are interested in the relationship between the way conflict is handled in the community and students' participation in learning activities, what will you do if you don't see any conflict while you're there?

Questions about relationships between aspects of the learning community and student learning:

My comments or questions in purple italics.

Questions that are clearly community questions

• How is collaboration seen within the learning community? (e.g., is helping seen as cheating, or a learning tool?) How does this relate to literacy learning?
• How does emphasis on ability affect classroom discourse and student learning?
• How does interaction in the classroom (teacher-student, student-student) affect a students' motivation to learn?
• Does the classroom community make students feel safe and how does this feeling affect their performance? Do you mean performance, participation, or both?
• How does the teacher modeling (interactions between teacher-student) affect how students relate to each other, and how might that relate to opportunities to learn?
• How do the norms of the class affect peer cooperation and learning?
• How do the teacher's (or students') choices in literacy materials affect the classroom dynamic? This one needs more clarification - could be a community question
• What evidence is there of competition in the learning community and how does this level of competition affect learning?
• Does sharing in the community help students take more risks? If sharing is valued, how do the students act? What are students learning?
• What do students value in the learning community being studied? (e.g., being cool or being smart). And why, or how does it relate to learning?
• How does the social composition of the classroom affect learning? Could be a community question…needs more detail.
• How does silent reading affect the classroom community? This one is about a relationship between a technique and community, but it's not clear what the connection might be, or how it might relate to student learning.
• How are status differences treated in the learning community, and how does status relate to learning or opportunities to learn?

Questions that are not clearly related to the learning community (but you might be able to modify them to be related…)

• What types of interactions occur during literacy? What is students' motivation like?
• Does participation vary by ability? Interest?
• How does classroom management affect students' ability to learn?
• How does the physical environment of a classroom affect student learning?
• How is students' success measured in the classroom and how does this affect their learning?
• How is a student's autonomy affected by the amount of individual tasks (vs. collaborative tasks)?
• How is collaborative work detrimental to student learning? How is it beneficial?
• What motivates children to want to read and write?
• What are the benefits of large group (vs. small group) literary discussions?
• How does time spent on a topic or activity affect what is valued by students? How does the way time is spent reflect what teacher values?
• How does multicultural curriculum affect learning? How represented do students feel in the curriculum and how does that level of representation affect learning?
• How much does reading at home affect literacy (and learning community) at school? What will you know about reading at home?
• How do literacy activities impact students when outside school literacy environment? How does impact affect learning in the classroom? How will you know what happens outside your observation venue?

Questions that are descriptions of what is. These questions would need to be modified to focus on relationships between aspects of the community and student learning. They might also work well as subquestions that would support larger questions aimed at relationships between aspects of the community and student learning.

• How is read aloud handled? Are students involved or silent listeners?
• Are literacy activities teacher or student generated?
• How do the students respond to different ways that the teacher introduced literacy activities?
• What are the rules/norms of literacy activities?
• What sorts of modeling techniques are used in the classroom? Are they effective? How does the teacher know they are effective? Can you see the students using these techniques? How does the teacher model what she hopes the students will practice?
• Does the teacher encourage questions and interaction during read aloud?
• How is the classroom library utilized in the room?
• How does teacher body language influence kids' behavior?
• What kind of books are chosen for reading aloud and what does the class do afterwards? (e.g., discussion, individual writing response) Is it effective in helping the teacher meet her learning goals?

Interesting questions that need more work to fit the community of learning assignment

• Do students seem to benefit from large group (round-robin) reading?
• How does the group's average level of performance affect individual performance? (e.g., a 4th grade student reading at 7th grade level)
• What happens when materials in the room are not accessible? (e.g., have a lot of books but no free reading time)
• How different are students at home than at school and how does this difference affect learning?

Possible Methods for Data Collection

Match the methods you use to the question you are trying to answer. Use multiple methods! Don't be limited to this list - it's ok to try out your own ideas for collection methods.

• Collect copies of student work; try to get work over time (e.g., in folder or portfolio)
• Record posted class norms; note whether T or S refer to them or seem to follow them
• Draw map of classroom
• Note how children are seated. In rows? Table groups? If in groups, are these groups used instructionally, or are they working independently while seated in groups?
• Use the map to keep track of teacher or student movement
• Note what is posted on the walls
• What student work (if any) is posted? (e.g., "best" work? Work from all students? Voluntary?)
• Note distribution of opportunities to learn (who holds the materials, makes decisions, gets to speak, etc.)
• Compare students' work (peer referencing) or participation
• Interview students and teachers (tape record with permission)
• Ask students whether they like to work alone, or in groups and why
• Observation at different times of day or in different kinds of activities
• Noting what kinds of questions are asked
• Noting when children have choice within the classroom
• Tally types of questions asked, types of interactions, types of group work
• Focus on a few select students and their behavior during whole group instruction
• Record dialogue
• Record body language and facial expressions (of speaker/audience), different times of day, during different subjects or kinds of activity (small group, whole group, seatwork, etc.)
• Ask teacher about particular students' usual behavior (e.g., who asks lots of questions, who looks "in a daze" but is actually listening?)
• Determine what kind of work is being shared and the structure of that conversation
• Note what happens when the teacher leaves the room
• Record the nature of teachers' interactions with low-performing children, children who seem overdependent, shy children, English language learners, children with disabilities, boys vs girls, depending on your interest.) Are these interactions more or less positive than those with more typical or high-performing children?
• Record who gets called on during whole group activities: Is there a pattern by location? Sex? Ability? Subject matter area?
• Look at time sharing versus independent work time (Note daily schedule and how much they veer off course)
• Count interactions of different types
• Note the nature of any disputes and how resolved
• Note how often teacher must mediate student disputes
• Note which children teacher points out as models of appropriate/inappropriate behavior
• Note status-related behaviors (being "the boss," exclusion during play or small group activities); are the same kids targets in different subjects?
• Note focal child's response to status-related behaviors.
• Note low-status child's participation level in different activities
• Record how much time is spent in activities which provide opportunities to interact with peers.
• Compare students' interactions in the classroom versus on the playground.
• Track time spent on different kinds of activities
• Compare students' past with present work
• Compare students' statements with what they do
• How much time is spent sharing?
• Count hand-raising
• Record who teacher calls on - are there patterns?
• Note teacher responses to the behaviors you are interested in (e.g., sharing, helping, side conversations, teasing, exclusion)